biostudies-literatureGreco FIstituto Pasteur—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti to Valerio FulciMinistry of HealthMinistry of Health “Ricerca Corrente 2023”istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti33https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10301948biostudies-literatureUnknown9(3)Virus-encoded microRNAs were first reported in the Epstein-Barr virus in 2004. Subsequently, a few hundred viral miRNAs have been identified, mainly in DNA viruses belonging to the <i>herpesviridae</i> family. To date, only 30 viral miRNAs encoded by RNA viruses are reported by miRBase. Since the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several studies have predicted and, in some cases, experimentally validated miRNAs originating from the positive strand of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. By integrating NGS data analysis and qRT-PCR approaches, we found that SARS-CoV-2 also encodes for a viral miRNA arising from the minus (antisense) strand of the viral genome, in the region encoding for ORF1ab, herein referred to as SARS-CoV-2-miR-AS1. Our data show that the expression of this microRNA increases in a Non-coding RNAA microRNA Arising from the Negative Strand of SARS-CoV-2 Genome Targets FOS to Reduce AP-1 Activity.PMC10301948Ricerca Corrente 2023Call “under 45”—2020under 45 2020Ciccosanti FDi Rienzo MFimia GMFulci VLorefice ELaudadio IMaggi FCarissimi CGreco FMeschi SColavita FfalseA microRNA Arising from the Negative Strand of SARS-CoV-2 Genome Targets FOS to Reduce AP-1 Activity.Virus-encoded microRNAs were first reported in the Epstein-Barr virus in 2004. Subsequently, a few hundred viral miRNAs have been identified, mainly in DNA viruses belonging to the <i>herpesviridae</i> family. To date, only 30 viral miRNAs encoded by RNA viruses are reported by miRBase. Since the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several studies have predicted and, in some cases, experimentally validated miRNAs originating from the positive strand of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. By integrating NGS data analysis and qRT-PCR approaches, we found that SARS-CoV-2 also encodes for a viral miRNA arising from the minus (antisense) strand of the viral genome, in the region encoding for ORF1ab, herein referred to as SARS-CoV-2-miR-AS1. Our data show that the expression of this microRNA increases in a 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 May2026-04-08T14:08:47.762Z2025-04-04T20:28:32.951ZS-EPMC103019483736833310.3390/ncrna9030033